Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-11-20
THAT BLOODTHIRSTY MOB.
What There Was i'm the Sensa'
ti"nal REPORTS.

What There Was i'm the Sensa.
ti"nal Reports.
The San Pedro Clipper of recent
date contains the following in relation
to the alleged trouble at that port:
Last Mondays Los Angeles Times
and Evening Express contained a
blood-harrowing story OF how two OF
Los Angeles "brave and efficient Off
GERS" struggled with desperate and
bloodthirsty mob of sailors in this lit
tie seaport town, and how two of said
officers held a mob of 200 or 800 at
bay and heroically captured desert
ing seaman. The story from be-
ginning to end is pronounced by re-
spectacle witnesses to be entirely for
eign to the cold-blooded facts, which
are as follows: Fred Smith and
man by the name of Roberts, both
deputy constables, came to San
Pedro last Sunday for the
avowed purpose Of arresting deserving
sailors. While here they went into
Linskow's Pioneer Restaurant for
dinner, and while eating took offense
at some remarks made by a man who
sat at the opposite table. When din
ner was over the two heroic officers
came out of the restaurant and ap-
preached man who was standing on
the sidewalk and accused him of in
sulting them while in the dining-room.
The man denied having done anything
of the kind, but the brave officer in
sisted that he had insulted him, swore
at him soundly, and finally wound
himself up into a pugilistic position
and proceeded to reach for his alleged
insulter. He had called up the
wrong passenger, however, and soon
found out that he was getting
into the hands of man Who
could handle himself about as we'll as
an ordinary @cop." Upon finding
this out, the other brave " officer
pulled out a revolver and, for the first
time, told him that he was an officer,
and then and there proceeded to
handcuF their prisoner and declared
their intention to take him to Los
Angeles. Several citizens who had
witnessed the whole proceedings told
the officers to take him before JUS
tiee of the peace here in San Pedro,
which they finally concluded to do.
The man whom they arrested was not
a sailor, but ex-barkeeper here, who
did not know who the heroic" Los
Angeles officers were, and who would
have quietly surrendered himself had
they SO demanded and shown their
authority as officers. The Times and
Express are entirely too eager for
something sensational, and should be
more careful in the future to confine
themselves to the truth when reflect
ing upon the whole community, as
they have done in this case. There
was no sailor business connected with
this affair, and the entire community
is justly ineensed at such a gross mis-
J representation of facts especially when
the truth could have been ascertained
by simply taking the ord nary and
customary precaution. San Pedro cit
liens are as quiet and 1Aw-abiding as
can be found in any seaport on the
Pacific coast or elsewhere, and will aid
and protect all officers of the peace
when acting in a legitimate or
official capacity. 1t is to be
hoped that the Los Angeles officers
in the future, when coming here to
make arrests, will make no side plays,
but attend strictly to the business
which calls them here. IF such had
been the case last Sunday, every off
Ger in San Pedro and Wilmington
would have been on hand 80 assist in
enforcing law and order. What we
say in reference to this matter can be
suDstantiated by fifty responsible citi-
zens of this place, and if it becomes
necessary, their affidavits will be pub
lished in order to verify the above
statement of facts. 1t is believed by
many of our most prominent citizens
that the whole affair was designed in
order to injure San Pedro as a ship
ping point.